470 



THE FAllMEKS' KEGISTEK. 



Btate in which it was before to that of a mould. 

 If you examine a soil which lias become mould, 

 it is of a peculiar s:ructure. It appears as if all 

 the particles were connected togeiher, and it 

 seems to have some altraciive property by gather- 

 ing together in that way. Vacuities lor the air 

 are thus formed, and there is a tendency to ab- 

 sorb and retain as much moisture as is useful to 

 the plant. If filled entirely with moisture it is 

 injurious to the plant, but il a certain quantity, be- 

 comes beneficial ; and when a great depth ot soil 

 is attained, there is great advantage indeed, in 

 either a wet or a dry season. In a wet season 

 the water flows away, leaving the soil in a dry 

 state ; but in consequence of the mouldering state 

 in which the soil is, it is retentive of moisture, 

 and there is a great magazine of water preserved 

 in soil for a dry season. Being covered by the 

 active soil, the drought may penetrate a lew 

 inches, but in consequence of the lower part of the 

 soil being covered with this upper stra'um, il ie 

 defended from the extreme action of the rain, and 

 a very dry atmosphere. It will be found that in 

 soil so treated and converted into this mouldy 

 condition, in dry seasons sufiicient quFintity of 

 moisture will be retained lor the use ol the plants, 

 which will grow vigorously when land in the 

 same neighborhood is completely dry. 



I do not think that it is possible lo drain land 

 too much, from the fact that the mould becomes 

 an excellent magazine for the retention of mois- 

 ture. A circumstance took place in regard to this 

 in my own district, in 1826, a very di-y season. 

 In that year there was so long a period of dry 

 weather that the pond was dried up, and there 

 was a great deficiency of crops. I had a field 

 which had been treated in the way I have ex- 

 plained, and I had a crop of hay on it. The hay 

 in the country round produced not above hall a 

 crop. On this field, which I had deepened to 16 

 inches, I had a splendid crop. A proprietor of 

 land in the neighborhood, one of the old school, 

 resisted to the utmost wiih regard to the result ol 

 thorough draining and subsoil ploughing. A 

 person occasionally eai ployed by me was also 

 engaged in doing work for him. He had asked 

 about this hay, and the old gentleman was rather 

 puzzled at the state of the crop, and exclaimed 

 that he really thought I had drained my land so 

 much that I should have no crop at all. He was 

 immediately after this completely wedded to the 

 system, and from that day he has been vigorously 

 engaged in introducing thorough draining and 

 eubsoiling all over his estate; and he is now 

 having a great deal of poor soil, on a very rich 

 and productive estate, treated in the same way. 

 Taking the average of that gentleman's estate, 

 he now produces double the quantity of corn that 

 he used to obtain. He now grows potatoes 

 where he could not grow them before, and on 

 the old clay he produces regular and large crops 

 of turnips. 



An inquiry was made as to whether there was 

 any land where subsoil ploughing would be suc- 

 cessful wiihout thorough drair;ing. 



Mr. Smith — I am much obliged for that hint. 

 Many persons have thought that ploughing the 

 subsoil might do wiihout thorough draining, but 

 there are lew instances indeed in which that ap- 

 plication of the plough will not be hurtful instead 

 of being beneficial. If you have a retentive 



bottom which will not allow the moisture to pass 

 away, it must remain till absorbed by the atmo- 

 sphere : therelbre tiie greater the chamber for re- 

 ceiving rain, fo much the longer will the land be 

 kept in a wet state. The practice whicii now 

 prevails in the English clay districts, ol plough- 

 ing with a shallow harrow, has arisen from the 

 experience ol' ages, which has taught ihern that 

 on such soils you cannot cultivate wheat if you 

 plough a deep lurrovv, because you make just so 

 much the larger chambers to receive water. 

 Even in open soils 1 would not recommend the 

 application of ihe subsoil plough till the thorough 

 draining had been executed. 



A gentleman asked if it was necessary to repeat 

 the subsoil plnughing? 



3Jr, Smith — It may not be essentially necessary 

 to repeal the subsoil ploughing, but it is beneficial. 

 I repeat '.he ploughing at every shift, every time 

 I break up my lallovv. 



Is it always done in the same line? 

 3Ir. Smith— GenemUy ; sometimes I have 

 done it oMiquely. 



Did you ever try it diagonally ? 

 Mr. Smith — Yes : perhaps it is better lo do it 

 in that way according to the drop of the land. 

 The first idea I had was to use the subsoil plough ; 

 then I tliought I might use ihe trench plough, 

 and that I might, the next shilt, turn up the 

 whole soil, so as to have a complete mixture. In 

 some fields, where the soil was of a better quality, 

 and there was more vegetable matter, I had ex- 

 cellent crops ; on the poorer soils, I Ibund that by 

 bringing up tlie subsoil to mix wiih the active soil 

 alter the first shili, 1 did a great deal of mischief! 

 i Ibund, especially with regard to grass, that 1 

 could not get that growth ol plants which I had 

 belore ; immediately on obseiving that i resolved 

 a third lime to go over those fields, and that I 

 would again use ihe sub-oil plough ; I have new 

 fallen into the piactice uf doing so every lime I 

 turn. I took up at the first shiti, perhaps about 

 3 inches, even in the poorest field, the next time 

 3 inches more; and by that means I gradually 

 attained a thorough dejuh of soil to the extent of 

 sixteen inches. Oir my own farm I have a tho- 

 rough depth of sixteen inches, but that is in 

 consequence of using a trench plough on the 

 second shift, and in some fields that was unsuc- 

 cessful. Il 1 had had then the experience I now 

 have, I would use the subsoil plough at each shift ; 

 instead ol going down the whole sixteen inches, 

 I would only take up perhaps three inches the 

 first time and three the next, till I had completed 

 the depth of sixteen inches. 



ji gentleman — In draining in the summer sea- 

 son, how do you get the level 1 



Mr. Smith— By the spirit-level, ofcourse. 

 J! gentleman — The great object would be to 

 get it done cheap ; but it would be much more 

 expensive if done in the summer. 



Mr. Smith— No douhl; but if I had the choice 

 of execuliiig drains during Ihe winter, at an ex- 

 pense ot 50 per cent, less than the summer, I 

 would prelt:r doing it in summer. The efficiency 

 is of liir more importance than the expense. 



In summer sometimes the land may be too 

 hard ? 



Yes. In some places, but the bulk of the land 

 will retam as much moisture as will enable you 

 to gel through it with the plough. Ofcourse that 



